1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bow sight. More particularly, the present invention relates to a bow sight with replaceable sight pin guard.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Archery requires precise aiming. To this end, even small improvements in the ability to sight are valuable benefits. The sighting devices utilized in archery have not changed greatly over the years. In most modern sighting systems, a sight extends from the bow handle and includes sight pins.
Because these sight pins on a hunter""s bow are very susceptible to breakage during movement through underbrush and foliage common in hunting grounds, hunter bow sights of the pin type include fixed protective frames overlying the sight pins. These fixed protective frames, however, obstruct view of the target and thereby hinder aiming.
Thus, there exists a need for a bow sight having a pin guard that protects the sight pins when desired, but does not obstruct view of the target during aiming.
Numerous innovations for bow sights have been provided in the prior art that will be described infra. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they each differ in structure and/or operation and/or purpose from the present invention in that they do not teach a bow sight having a pin guard that protects the sight pins when desired, but does not obstruct view of the target during aiming.
FOR EXAMPLE, typical prior art pin type bow sights include, to name a few, the xe2x80x9cCyclone,xe2x80x9d the Lightning,xe2x80x9d the xe2x80x9cThunder,xe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9cToxonics(trademark) Hybrid 4,xe2x80x9d all manufactured by Browning Archery.
A typical prior art pin type bow sight 10 can best be seen in FIG. 1, which is a diagrammatic perspective view of a bow with a typical prior art pin type bow sight thereon, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.
The typical prior art pin type bow sight 10 has a base 12 for mounting to a bow 14, at least one sight pin 16 extending from the base 12, and a sight pin guard 18 attached to the base 12 and overlying the at least one sight pin 16. The base 12 has a bow-facing surface 20, an ambient-facing surface 22 that is opposite to the bow-facing surface 20, and a pair of ends 24. The sight pin guard 18 has a pair of legs 26 with terminal ends 27, inner-facing surfaces 28, and outer-facing surfaces 30.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,747 to Kudlacek teaches an archery bow sight that includes a base plate arranged for removable attachment to the handle portion of a bow and supporting a longitudinally extendable mounting arm which mounts at its forward end a horizontally adjustable bow sight windage carriage which, in turn, mounts an elevation carriage provided for micrometrically graduated vertical movement perpendicular to the plane of movement of the aforesaid windage carriage. An elongated sight pin mounting block mounts a plurality of sighting pins for individual adjustment parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the block in order to provide yardage and elevation adjustment of each pin for sighting on targets of various distances while also providing for horizontal adjustment of each pin for various windage conditions.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,961 to Toth teaches an archery bow having accessories attached to the bow by a support block having an internal opening which receives a tang extending from an archery accessory. Accessories which may be attached to the bow include a detachable sight, an auxiliary arrow holder and a bow-fishing reel. More than one accessory may be locked to the support block. A shoulder is formed where the tang extends from the accessory to aid in positioning the accessory in the support block. The auxiliary arrow holder is an arm having an arrow support bracket on the end opposite the tang which includes a plurality of resilient fingers aligned on opposite sides and axially offset from each other for gripping the shaft of an arrow. The bow-fishing accessory includes a reel having a thin rim with a concave perimeter and a brace offset from the central axis of the rim. The reel is connected to the support block by an arm extending between the brace and the tang. A detachable quiver may be attached to the support block with the support block including one part of the detachable quiver mount and the quiver including a second part of the detachable quiver mount.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,611 to Sappington teaches a flexible sight pin for an archery bow sighting device in which the flexible sight pin is mounted to the body of the sighting device to permit universal flexing movement of the sight pin upon encountering a force of greater magnitude. The flexible sight pin includes a first portion attached to the body of the sighting device, a second portion constituting an elongated flexible element connected at one end thereof to the first portion and also to a third portion on the opposite end of the second portion. The third portion terminates in an archer""s sight at the free end of the flexible sight pin.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,084 to Haggard teaches an archery sight and arrow rest combination that incorporates the positioning of the sight generally vertically above the arrow rest. Positioning of the sight generally vertically above the arrow rest eliminates any undesirable effects from archer induced torque on the bow handle. Both the sight and rest are positioned rearwardly of the bow handle. Should the bow handle be twisted due to archer induced torque, both the sight and arrow rest will move to effectively the same position. Thus, when the archer sights along the sight member, the arrow will be pointing in the same direction. In the prior art, the arrow rest was often behind the bow handle with the sight in front of the bow handle. When archer induced torque occurred, the archer would be sighting along one line, while the arrow would actually be aimed along another. The combination has addressed this problem. In addition, the combination provides a one-piece easily removable sight and arrow rest combination that the archer may quickly and easily remove. Since the sight and arrow rest are delicate members, facilitating the removal by the archer will ensure that they are easily protected during transport.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,941 to Springstead teaches a brush guard (10) for preventing brush (75) from becoming wedged between the upper limb (101) of a bow (100) and a quiver (200) mounted on the bow (100); wherein, the brush guard (10) includes an elongated brush guard arm member (50) releasably attached to the quiver cap (204) on one end (51) and disposed proximate to the upper limb (101) on the other end (32).
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,122 to Wiseby et al. teaches an arrangement for a sight for a bow having at least two independently adjustable sighting members which are capable of being displaced and guided in the desired adjustment direction, and are supported by a guide intended for that purpose. At least one of the sighting members is capable of removable connection to a common drive member extending along the guides for the purpose of adjusting the sighting members independently of one another.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,919 to Reichert teaches a range finder and sight guide for an archer""s bow, particularly for hunting of game, such as deer. The device thereof includes a frame removably mounted to the archer""s bow and having a pair of vertically oriented guide rails for slidably receiving a slide member. A pair of pivotal arms are rotatably mounted to the slide member where each arm fixedly mounts a horizontally disposed range pin. By manually adjusting the slide member, the respective range pins may be moved closer or farther apart to accurately define the intended game target. Further included is a horizontally disposed sight pin fixedly secured to the slide member and which remains intermediate to and parallel with the range pins irrespective of the vertical position of the slide member.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for bow sights have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described wherein a bow sight having a pin guard protects the at least one sight pin when desired, but does not obstruct view of the target during aiming.
ACCORDINGLY, AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a bow sight with replaceable sight pin guard that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a bow sight with replaceable sight pin guard that protects the at least one sight pin when desired, but does not obstruct view of the target during aiming.
STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a bow sight with replaceable sight pin guard that is simple to use.
BRIEFLY STATED, YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide an improved bow sight of the type having a base for mounting to a bow, at least one sight pin extending from the base, and a sight pin guard attached to the base and overlying the at least one sight pin. The improvement includes the sight pin guard being replaceably attached to the base in such a manner so as to allow the sight pin guard to be removed from the base without a need for tools and not obstruct view of a target during aiming and be replaced onto the base without a need for tools when protecting the at least one sight pin from damage is desired. The improvement further includes two embodiments of apparatus for replaceably attaching the slight pin guard to the base without a need for tools. The first embodiment includes terminal ends of the sight pin guard and ends of the base having cooperating slots. The second embodiment includes the terminal ends of the sight pin guard formed with indents that cooperate with spring clips on the ends of the base.
The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing.